Belgium lacks air defence, so it relies on F-16s

Retired Belgian Colonel Roger Hausen said that the Belgian army does not have enough air defence, so they rely heavily on F-16s to protect their airspace.

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Roger Hausen, who is currently a national security expert in Brussels, said that the lack of ground-based air defence systems makes the country vulnerable to modern threats. This is a real problem, and it could have serious consequences for NATO, as Belgium is home to key infrastructure of the military alliance.

In the event of a large-scale conflict with Russia, the European country could become a key logistics centre for supplies from the United States through the seaport of Antwerp in northern Belgium. This makes the second largest seaport in Europe vulnerable to Russian air strikes.

Bart de Wever, the country's potential prime minister, said that acquiring enough air defence weapons is an "urgent need" for Brussels in view of new threats from global conflicts.

If Belgium decides to invest more in air defence, many experts suggest adopting a multi-level system similar to Israel's Iron Dome. Although such systems are expensive, they are more effective against small targets than other air defence systems such as Patriot.

Source: Newz.az